


Cook

by braindelete



Series: Spring Drabbles [15]
Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: Batdad, Gen, Good Big Brother Dick Grayson, Jason Todd is Robin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-27
Updated: 2019-04-27
Packaged: 2020-02-07 05:11:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18613825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/braindelete/pseuds/braindelete
Summary: When Alfred's away, Bruce burns dinner.





	Cook

Dick came downstairs because he’d heard the sound of the fire alarm going off. He assumed the house wasn’t actually on fire, because no one had come to get him or called his name, and there didn’t seem to be any panic in the house. There was cursing coming from the kitchen. 

Once in the kitchen, following the haze of smoke and the smell of burnt something, he found Bruce waving the clouds away from the smoke detector. He was covered in flour, something that had been wet but now caked on an apron like he was a contestant on a baking show who’d lost all control. Running his hand through his hair, Dick grabbed a towel and did the same motion, trying to get the beeping alarm to stop. 

Finally, after several minutes, blessed silence. 

“So… what did you screw up?” Dick smirked. 

Bruce grumbled wordlessly, going over to the oven and removing a burnt… chicken? Maybe. Dick wasn’t sure what it had been anymore, just that now it was a comically black, extra crispy and shapeless lump of char. He covered a laugh before shaking his head. 

“Alfred is still under the weather so I thought I’d try to make dinner for you and Jason…” He gestured pathetically at what had once been considered food. 

“It’s fine. I think we can probably salvage this.” 

Dick went over to the burnt meal on the stove, taking one of the carving knives and trying to remove the skin on top to locate any meat inside that may be useable. It’d probably be dry but it was nothing he couldn’t work with. He managed to remove most of the crust from the outside, leaving a white meat, slightly darkened by the burning.

“See, we can save this. How about I fix us something, and you can just give me what I need? We’ll do it together.” 

Bruce complied, handing off ingredients as Dick requested them: onions, tomatoes, peppers, garlic, flour, beef broth, paprika. He wasn’t sure what his eldest was putting together but he wasn’t really in a position to question. He hadn’t noticed the kitchen had gained a new guest. 

“Why does it smell so bad in here?” Jason asked, dropping his book bag on a chair. 

“That’s not where that goes.” Bruce pointed to the bag with a tilt of his head. 

Jason ignored him, coming over to see that Dick was stirring in the big stock pot, taking in the sight of the deconstructed mess on the counter. He peeked in to smell it, then looked at his brother with narrowed eyes. He had no idea the Golden boy could cook. 

“Want to help? You can stir while I pull more chicken… or you can wash your hands and pull chicken..” Dick regarded Jason. 

“Oh, yeah, I’m pulling chicken.” 

Jason washed his hands, dried them and got to work, filling a bowl with meat as he pulled it from the bone. Dick would dump the bowl occasionally and then stir some more, adding spices here and there, salt and pepper. Bruce watched them intently, not sure they realized they were getting along and working together, but immensely glad to see them finally working together. 

“B, grab some bowls?” Dick looked over his shoulder with a smile. “We’re ready. Jay, can you set the table?”

Jason didn’t even argue, just went to the drawer and started pulling silverware, and the cupboard to grab glasses. He set everything out, poured glasses of milk for all three of them and filled a basket with the store bought bread that Bruce had sliced before the chicken failed. 

Bruce handed the bowls to Dick, and filled each of the three, turning off the burner when he was finished. The two of them joined Jason at the table. Three men, three bowls of a chicken concoction that smelled of pepper and spice. They ate as a family for the first time since Jason had joined them, since Dick had left, since everything had changed. Dick explaining Romani goulash and how his mom made it for the whole circus, and Jason dunking bread into the food and shoving it into his mouth like it was his last meal. 

This was his family now. These were his sons. He might just be happy.


End file.
